Chief Auto Parts
Chief Auto Parts was a private U.S. auto parts retailer founded in 1955 in Norwalk, California by Vern Johnson and Lorin Tuthill. It served California, Texas, Tennessee, Nevada, Arizona and Arkansas, and grew to 556 stores by 1998.
The company went through many ownership changes. It reached 119 California stores by 1979 when it was bought by Southland Corporation (which also owned Citgo and Movie Quik). In 1985, Chief expanded by acquiring Honey’s Auto Parts in Nashville and 77 Checker Auto Parts locations from Lucky Stores in Oklahoma and Texas. In 1988 Southland sold Chief to an investor group led by Chief management and Shearson Lehman Brothers for $130 million.
In the 1990s, Chief was acquired by Trust Company of the West, with Chief’s management, mainly to pay off GE Capital obligations. In 1995, Chief bought Hi‑Lo Automotive (191 stores in Texas, Louisiana and California) for $121 million, bringing its total to more than 500 stores across California, Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, Arkansas and Arizona. In 1998, Trust Company of the West sold Chief to AutoZone for $280 million in cash plus debt assumption. At the time, Chief had 556 stores. David H. Eisenberg was CEO from 1992 until the sale. Chief’s headquarters were in Dallas, Texas.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:41 (CET).